Amazing Amputee Has One Foot in Heaven

Troy Schluechtermann has an amazing story. Troy has a rare blood disease and lacks two essential proteins, one that causes him to stop bleeding, and the other that prevents his blood from clotting. As a result, Troy has had over fifty-two surgeries in the past ten years—including roughly twenty bypasses. A couple years ago, Troy had to have his left leg amputated.

Until the past few years, Troy was bitter at God about all of the challenges life has thrown at him. However, a couple of years ago, Pastor Jason Holm from Northside Calvary Church talked to Troy about Christ. Troy forfeited his bitterness and trusted in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
Troy's faith in Christ has sustained him through all of his surgeries since then and given him a reason to keep fighting. His faith seems to be contagious as he is sharing it with doctors, nurses, family members, and anybody that will listen.

His spiritual brothers and sisters at Northside have been praying faithfully for Troy throughout this whole ordeal. Interestingly, Troy does not ask for prayers to get well. He realizes he will never have his leg back in this lifetime. Although he looks forward to getting it back in the next. I guess he already has one foot in heaven. He simply wants God’s grace to sustain him through the challenges of life. He now realizes that it took losing his leg to bring him to the point he is spiritually; and admits it is worth it.

Over the past few years, Troy’s life has been transformed as he has trusted in Christ and sought guidance from God’s word by reading it regularly. Troy understands Doctor’s orders as he takes dozens of pills, so it is not so peculiar for him to live life the way the Bible prescribes.

The biblical precedent is that after a person trusts in Christ, they publicly show their faith by getting baptized. Originally, getting baptized was sort of like signing the declaration of independence—it showed what you were leaving behind (your old aimless way of life), what you were moving toward (a life of faith in Christ), and by doing it one jeopardized their life as the most powerful government in the world (Rome), might hunt down and kill you for it. Troy wanted to take this step of obedience to the Bible and get baptized to share with his family and friends what God had done in his life.


Troy doesn't let his amputation slow him down. Baptism in the early church and in many churches today has been done by immersing the person fully in water and lifting them back up. This symbolizes Jesus death for our sins, burial, and subsequent resurrection—which is what saves those who believe in Him.

Pastor Jason offered to sprinkle Troy since he would have to navigate a small maze of stairs to get into the baptistery, and then proceed to stand on one leg in waist high water as Pastor explained the significance of baptism. But Troy insisted on doing things the way everybody else has in the past.

Last Sunday, with many of his friends and family members present, Troy shared what God had done in his life. It was one of those moments that touched everybody to their souls as there wasn’t a dry eye in the entire church.

Following his testimony, Troy crawled up into the baptistery, and with several guys prepared behind the scenes in case something went wrong, and the pastoral intern helping stabilize him by lending him an arm, Pastor Jason baptized Troy in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Troy wants everybody to know that he was a bad and bitter person, but God has transformed him. The God who has saved and sustained Troy will do the same for you—whatever you are struggling with, and no matter how bad of a person you are. Read the Bible and see for yourself. If you have questions, stop by Northside Calvary Church some Sunday and ask Troy about it.